MESA Leaders

About the MESA Leadership Council

The MESA Leadership Council is a group of Students, Faculty, and Staff all working towards the common goal of making MESA the best program it can be. Student leaders are chosen from our tutors and program assistants and work on a variety of projects to engage with the community and support our center. Orientations, Workshops, Potlucks, Award Ceremonies - our student leadership does all this and more. If you're a student and are interested in joining the MESA Leadership Council, make sure to sign up to be a tutor with our center - Look for tutor applications in November and March of each year.

MESA Faculty & Staff

Will Davis

Director of MESA

Director's Message: "Welcome to MESA my friends! Every new semester brings its challenges and opportunities, but MESA is always here to help. MESA is a learning community focused on the STEM disciplines. That means that its greatest strength lies in the people who make up MESA. While there are many resources available to you as a MESA member, connecting with and being part of a community of scholars with similar goals and interests is the most important thing we can offer. MESA always has a great group of students who share, support and encourage each other, and thus contribute to the success of everyone in the program. If you are interested in mathematics, physical sciences, biological sciences, earth sciences, engineering, computer science,... then let MESA become your ARC academic home. I am confident that MESA can provide you with great services and programs to benefit you both academically and professionally."

Laurel Richardson

MESA Center Coordinator

Coordinator's Message: "I am excited to be part of the MESA Center team at American River College. I'm finishing my Ph.D. in History at UC Davis where my research focuses on American Loyalist refugees' migration to the Bahamas in the aftermath of the American Revolution. At UC Davis, I am also a Teaching Assistant Consultant where I help graduate students develop effective teaching practices for a wide variety of disciplines. I plan to be a college level teacher, so ask me about good teaching and learning strategies. Learning how to help students learn is very interesting and exciting to me. As a student of the humanities, I have lots to offer in helping you to improve your writing and communication skills. I look forward to working with you on writing assignments and on developing effective application and scholarship materials. While I ventured to the East Coast for college, I am glad to be back home in the Sacramento area."

Arturo Leon-Sandoval

MESA Center Coordinator

Coordinator's Message: " I am working on my B.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UC Davis and I worked at a pharmacy for four years. I was involved in starting and leading clubs here at ARC such as the Pre-Pharmacy Club, Chemistry Club, Gaussian Society, and Physics and Astronomy Clubs. A little bit about me - in my free time I enjoy playing video games, working on cars, and trying out new restaurants. I am always happy to chat about my new experiences at Davis or my activities here at ARC. Thank you for your time and I am looking forward to meeting you."

Alice Martinic

MESA Center Coordinator

Coordinator's Message: "I am a PhD student at UC Davis starting my fifth year in the Nutritional Biology program. My research focuses on how prebiotics (for example, fiber) and probiotics (for example, the bacterial cultures in yogurt) can affect our metabolism by interacting with the bacteria living in our gut. Before I came to UC Davis, I got my undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of New Mexico (I was born and raised in New Mexico). When I graduated, I knew I wanted to continue my education but I wasn't sure in what field. Now I get to apply my chemistry knowledge to study food and how our bodies utilize it, which is so fascinating! I'm really excited to be a part of MESA and I look forward to meeting you, hearing your stories, and helping in any way I can."

J. Matthew Register

MESA Faculty Advisor

Faculty Advisor's Message: "MESA is my life. While a graduate student at UC Davis, one of my first real education positions was as the Center Coordinator here with the ARC MESA program. In that role, I did everything under the sun to help our STEM students, from assisting with club activities to proofreading personal statements and internship applications to running workshop series and providing tutoring services. Now as a faculty member and Mathematics Professor with the college, I continue to assist the MESA program in an advisory role. If you ever have any questions about anything college or STEM related, know that I'm always here to help."

MESA Student Leadership

The MESA Student Leadership consists of our staff of 20+ Tutors and Program Assistants. In addition to providing tutoring support for our center, they work on projects varying from center improvement to community outreach to assisting the campus in various capacities. Many of them are leaders in campus clubs or otherwise active in the campus and community, and they help guide the direction of our MESA program.